Mass finishing component enclosure device and system

Abstract

An embodiment comprises a container to include a substrate during processing (e.g., centrifugal or vibratory processing) and protect the substrate from other substrates (e.g., medical implants) that are simultaneously being processed and/or from the polishing environment (e.g. vibratory tub sidewalls) during processing. Other embodiments are described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system to polish at least one substrate comprising:
 a first container to confine a first substrate; 
 wherein:
 the first container includes a first base to releasably couple to a first cap; 
 each of the first base and the first cap comprise first fenestrations configured to (a) freely allow polishing media to flow through the first fenestrations and contact the first substrate, yet (b) generally prevent a second substrate from directly contacting the first substrate confined in the first container while the first substrate and the second substrate are simultaneously subjected to a polishing stream of polishing media; 
 the first base and the first cap are configured to loosely contain the first substrate so the first substrate is not in constant contact with any portion of the first container during polishing; 
 the first substrate includes at least one of a ceramic, a pyrolytic carbon coating, a shoulder implant, a hip implant, and a heart implant; 
 the first base includes at least one of a polycarbonate, rubber, urethane, vinyl, and combinations thereof; 
 the first cap includes at least one of a polycarbonate, rubber, urethane, vinyl, and combinations thereof; 
 the first cap includes first and second arms; 
 the first base includes first and second voids; 
 in a first orientation an end portion of the first arm is located within the first void to contain the first substrate within the first container; 
 in a second orientation the end portion of the first arm is not located within the first void and the first arm does not contain the first substrate within the first container; 
 in the first orientation the first arm is bent with a first radius of curvature; 
 in the second orientation the second arm is not bent with the first radius of curvature. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first base is generally flat and the first cap is concave when the first cap is in the first orientation. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first container is sized to completely contain the first substrate, which is greater than 35 mm in maximum diameter, while the first substrate is included in a bin and the bin includes (a) a load height of substrates and polishing media between 45% and 60% of bin capacity, and (b) a ratio less than 4 parts media to 1 part substrate. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  comprising:
 a second container to confine the second substrate; 
 a third container to confine a third substrate; 
 a bin proportioned to include the first, second, and third containers; 
 wherein:
 the second container includes a second base to releasably couple to a second polymer cap; 
 each of the second base and the second cap comprise second fenestrations configured to (a) freely allow polishing media to flow through the second fenestrations and contact the second substrate, yet (b) generally prevent the first substrate from directly contacting the second substrate confined in the second container while the second substrate and the first substrate are simultaneously subjected to a polishing stream of polishing media; and 
 the second base and second cap are configured to loosely contain the second substrate so the second substrate is not in constant contact with any portion of the second container during polishing; 
 
 wherein:
 the third container includes a third base to releasably couple to a third cap; 
 each of the third base and the third cap comprise third fenestrations configured to (a) freely allow polishing media to flow through the third fenestrations and contact the third substrate, yet (b) generally prevent the first substrate from directly contacting the third substrate confined in the third container while the third substrate and the first substrate are simultaneously subjected to a polishing stream of polishing media; and 
 the third base and third cap are configured to loosely contain the third substrate so the third substrate is not in constant contact with any portion of the third container during polishing. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  comprising the first, second, and third substrates. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5  comprising a centrifugal polisher to operate with the bin. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first arm is resilient; 
 in the second orientation the first arm is relaxed; 
 in the first orientation the first arm is unrelaxed, stressed, and bent. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein in response to the first arm being resilient, when the end portion of the first arm is removed from the first void of the base the first arm resiliently returns to the second orientation. 
     
     
       9. A system comprising:
 a container configured to confine a substrate during mass finishing of the substrate; 
 wherein:
 the container includes a base and a cap; 
 the base includes fenestrations and the cap includes additional fenestrations; 
 the cap includes first and second arms and the base includes first and second voids; 
 in a first orientation a portion of the first arm is located within the first void to: (a)(i) releasably couple the first arm to the base, and (a)(ii) contain the substrate within the container; 
 in a second orientation the portion of the first arm is not located within the first void and the first arm does not contain the substrate within the container; 
 in the first orientation the first arm is bent with a radius of curvature; 
 in the second orientation the first arm is not bent with the radius of curvature; and 
 in the first orientation the first arm is configured to periodically directly contact the substrate during mass finishing of the substrate. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein:
 in the first orientation a portion of the second arm is located within the second void to: (a)(i) couple the second arm to the base, and (a)(ii) contain the substrate within the container; 
 in the second orientation the portion of the second arm is not located within the second void and the second arm does not contain the substrate within the container; 
 in the first orientation the second arm is substantially bent with the radius of curvature; and 
 in the second orientation the second arm is not bent with the radius of curvature. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9  comprising the substrate and an additional cap, wherein;
 the mass finishing includes at least one of centrifugal polishing and vibratory polishing; 
 the substrate is greater than 35 mm in maximum diameter; and 
 the substrate includes at least one of an orthopedic implant and a heart implant. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9  wherein the cap includes at least one of a polycarbonate, a rubber, a urethane, a vinyl, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  wherein the base includes at least one of a polycarbonate, a rubber, a urethane, a vinyl, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first arm is resilient; 
 in the second orientation the first arm is relaxed; 
 in the first orientation the first arm is unrelaxed, stressed, and bent. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9  wherein during transition from the first orientation to the second orientation the first arm resiliently returns to the second orientation. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 9 , wherein in the second orientation the first arm is not substantially bent. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 9  wherein the container is greater than 35 mm in maximum diameter. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 9  comprising the substrate, wherein:
 the first arm includes an outer surface and the substrate includes an outer surface; 
 the outer surface of the substrate is harder than the outer surface of the first arm. 
 
     
     
       19. A method of polishing multiple substrates comprising:
 containing a first substrate in a first container and a second substrate in a second container; and 
 simultaneously mass finishing the first and second contained substrates in polishing media while preventing the first and second contained substrates from directly contacting each other; 
 wherein:
 the first container includes a base coupled to a cap; 
 the base includes fenestrations and the cap includes additional fenestrations; 
 the cap includes first and second arms and the base includes first and second voids; 
 in a first orientation a portion of the first arm is located within the first void to: (a)(i) releasably couple the first arm to the base, and (a)(ii) contain the first substrate within the container; 
 in a second orientation the portion of the first arm is not located within the first void and the first arm does not contain the first substrate within the container; 
 in the first orientation the first arm is bent with a radius of curvature; 
 in the second orientation the first arm is not bent with the radius of curvature; and 
 in the first orientation the first arm is configured to periodically directly contact the first substrate during mass finishing of the first substrate.